The Nokia 1661 is frequently one of our most popular phones. On our comparison site we sell more of these than any BlackBerry or Sony Ericsson, it even outsells the iPhone. It costs less than £10 on PAYG, or on a contract you can get 16 months free line rental on an 18 month contract, if you don’t mind claiming cash back by redemption.

The success of this phone is clearly due to its low price and widespread availability. But what I wanted to know was, is it any good? So I boxed away my N97 and put my SIM into this little fellow, to see how he shaped up.

The Nokia 1661 is a simple phone; small and neat. The battery life is good, Nokia say I would get about three weeks between charges if nobody called me. After using it for a few days it’s still going without a recharge. I’ve found no irritating bugs and I’ve not had to deal with any complicated features.

This phone is just the thing for people who want to make calls and send a few texts. Even though it’s an entry-level phone it does have a couple of nifty tricks. Such as a speaking alarm clock and a built-in torch. Nothing cutting edge but I’ve found these to be surprisingly useful features! There’s no Bluetooth or MP3 player, but it does have an FM radio and a basic wired headset is included in the box.

The Nokia 1661 has six classic Nokia games pre-loaded, including Snake Xenia, Beach Rally, Bounce and Sudoku. It would be unfair to compare them to the latest iPhone games but they do have their moments and they can be as enjoyable, even on the primitive 1.8 inch screen.

What a wonderful little phone it is.

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